Hereafter
by Knight Basilisk
Summary: AU. SatoshiRiku. Riku is hired by Satoshi as a maid. An ordinary job turns into unexpected events once Riku starts to uncover more of her employer's dark past. What's a maid to do?
1. Chapter One

**A/N: I. Love. Weird. Pairings. **

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**Hereafter...**  
_...is when we find the meaning of it all._  
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**Chapter One  
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"To the most wonderful woman in my life," read the billboard that stood a mile high. Snow was beginning to distort the picture of a man—one of those highly-paid models with little to show for—and a woman—probably an air- head—posing like idiots for a Valentine's Day commercial sponsored by the local jewelry empire. In the man's hands was a sterling-silver, heart- shaped locket and was about to place it around the woman's neck.  
Satoshi Hiwatari looked on with an indifferent face, but, inwardly, he wished that if only looks could make something spontaneously combust...He looked down at his watch. It was five minutes past the hour and the new candidate for that maid-job he posted up was late. One more minute, he swore. After that, he's dropping her. _'What was her name, again?'_ he wondered. He pulled out her papers—  
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'Come on, Riku! Move those feet!'_ A honey-browned hair woman was jogging up the snowy path towards the place where she was supposed to meet her future boss. Four minutes late—it was the damned bus driver's fault! If only he had stopped wasting time with his boyfriend... She shuddered at the thought. Five minutes... She was almost there, but it seemed that her pace started to slow down under the weight of her jacket, sweater, and suitcase. _'Move, it! Move it!' _She quickly recovered herself and ran towards a figure she spied that probably was her employer. Her eyes widened when she saw them turn around.  
  
"Wait!" she yelled as loudly as her strained lungs would allow. "I'm here!" She panted and puffed and almost dropped to her knees in exhaustion. Man, she hadn't run like the 100-yard dash since 12th grade... She bent over and leaned her hands on her thighs.  
  
Satoshi checked his watch. "Six minutes late, Ms. Harada. I don't allow slacking in this job you're applying for. I don't think I'd want to hire you, now."  
  
Riku was too out-of-breath to show a surprised and crest-fallen face. All she could manage was, "Sorry...bus driver...late...ran uphill..." _Oh, damn._ What was she supposed to do? She spent her last dime on that horrid bus trip, and now, her only source of income was turning her down. She bowed her head a few times. "I'm sorry," she said when she caught her breath. "I know making excuses for such behavior is childish. I promise I won't be late, ever again."  
  
"No, you're..."  
  
Riku Harada looked up at him with golden-brown eyes that pleaded for forgiveness. Usually, she wouldn't do this, but her situation looked dim and putting aside her pride was an easy feat considering how low her spirits were right then.  
  
Satoshi blinked through his glasses and couldn't understand why he stopped in mid-sentence—and why it suddenly became hotter. Let's try again. He cleared his throat and said, "Ms. Harada, you're..."  
  
Riku looked down from the tone of his voice. She didn't bother bracing herself for the word of rejection. She became dejected and slouched.  
  
"Hired."  
  
She looked up with a surprised look on her face. Did she hear right? Before she could ask him to clarify his statement, he quickly turned around and added, "Come with me." She nodded and picked up her suitcase. This is...a miracle!  
  
He sighed inwardly in a defeated way. What in the world was going on with his head? He should be harder and stricter. Well, what he read in the applicant's form better make up for his brief moment of lunacy.  
  
When they reached his place, the new maid breathed heavily. It took only twenty minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to Riku Harada. Besides that, her employer didn't bother to offer to carry her suitcase—which started as feeling light to feeling like a twenty-pound rock—and was immersed in complete silence that filled their little jaunt. That's right. No vehicle. The brown-haired woman was about to chop her legs off. But when she finally looked up, her mouth and eyes were agape at the "magnificent" mansion that was in front of her.  
  
"Wow...," she whispered.  
  
"Are you going to stand there in the cold like an idiot, or are you coming in?"  
  
Riku snapped out of being stupefied and noticed that her new boss had already reached the inside of his mansion and was impatiently waiting for her.  
  
With newfound energy, she jogged up to the door, wiped her shoes, and became even more amazed at the inside of the behemoth house.  
  
Satoshi noted all of the times she stood fascinated at her surroundings—another mystery as to why he would. More useless information he picked up, he thought with a bit of irritation tugging at his brain. And that irritation caused his eyes and voice to grow colder than the outside weather. He looked at her with ice-blue eyes that caught her attention. He made another little note of her cringing (which was barely noticeable). If she was going to make him feel discomfort, he'd make her feel discomfort, as well—about 100 times more. He opened his mouth and said:  
  
"Welcome to your new home."  
  
Suddenly, Riku felt a chill that ran up her spine. She didn't exactly feel too excited to be there at that moment.  
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**A/N:** Another new story...sorry to those who wanted more chaps of my other stories... I just had to write one about Satoshi and Riku... o.O;; And I needed a break from the others... 

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	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: I.Really.Love.Weird.Pairings.**

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**Hereafter...**  
_...is when we find the meaning of it all._   
  
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**Chapter 2**  
  
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The snow cascaded gently down the earth. The winds, making the flakes of snow dance outside the window, were just tiny puffs of air. The mansion was located in a remote area of the mountains and was surrounded by a barrage of trees. There was a little clearing of about 2 acres around for a nice front and back yard. Near the circular driveway, a fountain stood still and shut off from years of neglect. All were covered with a soft, blanket of snow—like a winter-wonderland.  
  
But the busy housemaid took no notice of this. Zipping in and out of doors, carrying loads of abandoned curtains, cleaning through thousands of books upon hundreds of shelves, scrubbing untouched floors, polishing unused, wooden furniture, washing tall windows—the list went on.  
  
_[Flashback]  
  
Satoshi Hiwatari commanded her to follow him up two flights of stairs that gradually sloped to the right and walked down a dark hallway. They passed many doors before he finally stopped at one and opened it. Inside, there was a beautiful desk carved from oak that was littered with (most likely, important) papers in the middle of the room and a few bookshelves to the right. To the left was another stair that spiraled to the third floor. The room was a fairly good size with a good-sized window right behind the desk.  
  
Riku's new employer turned and stared (well, maybe glared a little) at her—measuring her up to standards he had set in his mind. After scrutinizing her for about a minute, he walked to a nearby table—smaller than the desk—full of scattered papers and folders; he picked an envelope and took out what looked like an invitation. Satoshi handed it to her and summed up what was inside.  
  
"There's going to be a party for the elderly Kenichi Shigurawa, one of the founders of the largest art museum in the world. 'Ciel sur Terre'—do you know of it?"  
  
Riku's eyes grew wide. "'Ciel..?' Yes, I think I've heard of it when I was in high school—"  
  
He didn't let her finish. "There's going to be a 50th anniversary for the museum, and it's going to be held here. I was chosen out of bad luck, I presume..." The last statement was directed towards himself, realizing a little too late. He shook his head in annoyance and sighed. "As the new maid, it's your responsibility to make this place as nice as that invitation you're holding in your hand."  
  
Riku looked down and glanced at the card. Then, something hit her—like a giant elephant trampling on her brain. "What...I mean... are the others off today?"  
  
[End flashback]_  
  
Riku regretted asking that question because he had given her a "you-must-be-really-stupid" look. She thought it was a harmless question, but the answer was painful. No, there weren't any "others." No, there weren't maids or butlers to help her out. She groaned inwardly. There must be about fifty rooms in this mansion—this mini-castle! She didn't expect this job to kill her in the process.  
  
Why couldn't he hire more? This place must have cost a fortune, but yet...it seemed that he only lived in that one room she first visited. Well, maybe, two if there was a bedroom that he occupied.  
  
Well, enough with those thoughts, already. It was slowing down her progress. She was given two weeks to shape this place up, and she wasn't going to embarrass herself again by slacking off. Riku took down each painting from the 3rd-floor hallway carefully, but quickly, to start scrubbing on the wooden walls.  
  
_'Midnight Dreams,' 'Daylight's Shadow,' 'Requiem of the Dead...' _she read while glancing at the titles. They were decent paintings, but too sad and... well, depressing for her tastes. Finally, she reached the last one near the door that she was forbidden to enter. Now, she remembered that the last door in the east wing was never to be opened. Riku made a quick look and noted how fancy the intricacies of the carvings were. Also, the door handle wasn't covered with dust like the others._ 'Maybe...this was his bedroom,' _she guessed.  
  
She wiped her forehead clean of the perspiration that gathered and rolled up her sleeves. Tying her small ponytail in a secure knot with a ribbon, her face held a determined look to make this place spotless. She looked around and decided to start from where she was standing. She grabbed the small towel that was soaking in the pail of soapy water and started scrubbing—madly—with the words, "Hurry up," chanting in her head.  
  
CRACK.

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. **A/N:** Yes. Thank you. Thank you for reviews. :) This is the story I needed to take a break and relax...[sigh] before school starts. 


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: I.Dig.Sato/Riku.Pairings**

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**Hereafter...  
**_...is when we find the meaning of it all. _

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**Chapter 3**

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Satoshi Hiwatari, age 27, mingled in high-society circles, thanks to the business-dealings of his "father." But right now, his head was running in circles—painful circles. It was probably stress. He leaned back on his chair and heard a faint cracking noise. Maybe that wasn't a good idea. He stood up and took off his two-inch-thick bifocals. He blinked a couple of times and gently rubbed his eyes. Since yesterday, when he'd put on his glasses, his vision would get fuzzy. Ah, it was hallucination, most likely. There was too much work to be done and he hadn't gotten enough sleep, either. A stretch of his arms and legs led him right in front of his window. 

The serene sight relaxed his squinting eyes (from reading the small prints of the documents). But before he could enjoy a moment's peace, his temples beat agonizingly on his brain, and he groaned silently. _'Aspirin,'_ he thought. Then he looked at the pile of papers stacked on his desk. _'...Right after I finish the Kurinaga case…' _

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Riku Harada, age 26, was quickly trying to find a way out of this mess she created. The six-inch hole mockingly glared back at her with no intention of helping her out. "Oh, Riku," she stated to herself, "what the hell have you done?!" She paced around for a few seconds and spied the paintings. She didn't like the idea, but, _'It'll have to do…for now.'_

She carefully cleaned the area surrounding the hole, picked up a painting, swiftly polished the silver frame, and placed it gently on the hanging tack. Voila, no offensive hole. She gave a silent promise that after the whole place is cleaned, she'll somehow get that patched up. She also made a prayer that the owner of the mansion wouldn't find out before then.

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The last time Satoshi looked at his watch, it was 4:32 pm. Now, it read 11:28 pm. For any normal, human being, it would be an unbelievable thought to work over seven hours straight without breaks. But for the blue-haired man, it was simply the story of his life. Work, work, and more work. 

He strained his ears and heard a few thumping noises of footsteps, then, it stopped. He assumed that the newly recruited maid finally went to sleep. Now, he can step out of his room. …Not that he didn't want to take the chance of facing her, earlier… Well, now was the time to observe her progress. Maybe it wasn't much, since it was only her second day, here.

Satoshi stepped out of his room and looked up and down the hallway. He brushed his finger against the hallway mirror and rubbed it with his thumb. No dust. She must have finished this part, already. Throughout his little journey to the kitchen with the thoughts of finding some aspirin, he'd glance here and there, swiping his finger for any trace of dust and searching for any piece of trash. To his little emotion known as "surprise," he encountered no such evidence of what this mansion used to be. But when he reached the central stairs of the place, he could see that only the east wing was finished and there were more things to be cleaned on the eastern side.

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Finally, she can rest. Riku placed the mop in the now-empty, rolling tub and pushed it back inside the closet. Her hands resting on her hips, she surveyed the clean kitchen. She was amazed at what a difference there was. Before, there were cobwebs and an inch-thick of dust, everywhere, save a few places like the refrigerator—where she found her lunch—the microwave, and a nearby cabinet. Now, she could see her reflection on the tiled floor and the wooden cabinets. She leaned against the counter until her feet slowly slid her body to rest on the floor. Boy, oh, boy, was she tired. Satisfied, but tired. Maybe, she can just rest…for a little bit…before getting ready for bed…

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Satoshi entered the kitchen, yawning a bit, only to stop mid-yawn and survey the room. He closed his mouth and commented in his mind that it looked like one of those professional kitchens—wait, he had a rice-cooker? Deviating from the subject of aspirin, he walked slowly around the counter, completely in amazement, and completely oblivious to the pair of legs that stuck out. He would have tripped over them if he didn't catch himself in time. He slowly backed up and realized it was the maid. …Rika…no, it was …ah, he couldn't remember. 

He noticed that she was fast asleep by her slowed breathing. Her chest rose and fell evenly. Her pale, pink-lips parted ever-so-slightly. Her head tilted sideways and her golden-brown hair lightly caressed her fair-skinned neck. The ruffles on the neckline of her maid's outfit drooped further down, exposing a little of her…

Satoshi quickly threw those thoughts out of his mind, but not fast enough to prevent his face from getting red. Someone should kill whoever designs those damned maid's outfits.

Enough of that. What should he do? Leave her here on the floor? He could just pretend that he never saw her and go back to his room. Oh, but his conscience would be killing him by then. So, he opted for the latter, and frustrating, option—to carry her up to her room. Damn everything to hell, she was being a nuisance. He sighed. Well, she cleaned up already one-third of the mess. He commended her for that. So, in return, not to mention the pay she was getting, he'll overlook her weakness, this once.

Without a second thought of the aspirin he planned to retrieve, he gently slid his right arm under her neck and his left arm under her legs. With one lift, he held her in his arms and leaned her on his chest. It felt strange…holding her like this. But he digressed on those thoughts, once again, and promptly left for her room.

Her door was ajar which made his task a bit easier. He swung it open with his left hand—still holding her limp body—and walked up to her bed. He eased her down a bit too slow—something he didn't bother to notice—upon it, and was almost done with this insane mission. But something prevented him from bending himself upright. Satoshi's eyes widened when he suddenly realized that her arms somehow managed to snake their way around his neck.

He couldn't believe the situation he was in. Not that he minded…wait. Yes! Yes, he did mind being in that position…well, not really. His face softened at her sweet, innocent look which was a few inches away from his face. He bent his head closer…the gap, lessening between them—

…And he gently swung her arms over his head to place them softly on her stomach. He sighed his thousandth sigh and quietly walked out of the room.

_'Goodnight…Riku Harada.'_

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**A/N: **Yay, finished w/another chapter of Sato/Riku goodness. And I kinda fixed the other chapters, too.


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: You.Dig.Sato/Riku.Pairings**

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**Hereafter... **

_...is when we find the meaning of it all. _

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**Chapter 4 **

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Before the sun even had a chance to shine over the horizon, Riku was stretching her arms to pull herself out of the nice sleep she had. It was one of those feelings you get after a wonderful dream—energized and ready to go. When she moved to her right, she felt her clothes rustle and bunch up around her torso and tried to smooth it out. She stopped when she realized she was still wearing her uniform. Her mind buzzed in trying to find logic in this situation.

_'I fell asleep on my bed...no, it was the kitchen... Or did I really fall asleep there? Did I even clean up the kitchen? That's it: if it's not cleaned, then, I must have fallen asleep here and not there. On the other hand, that wouldn't prove much...' _

She threw her legs over the side of her bed and got up. Before she left the room, she made sure she looked like she didn't sleep in her clothes. She'd change later after she made sure of the kitchen's condition.

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Satoshi woke up with his heart racing and his breath coming in short gasps. Sweat rolled down his forehead and he wiped it away. _'Tell me this isn't happening...please, God, this can't be happening...'_ He sat stiffly in his bed trying to hear traces of the maniacal laughter from his nightmare. But the room gave no echoes of his vivid imagination and was undisturbed like the unbroken sky. It was early in the morning and nothing stirred in the house. Maybe he _was_ going crazy. His throat tickled with dryness—aching for relief. Time to take trip to the kitchen.

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Riku poked her head around the corner and peaked in the kitchen. It was spotless. Her forehead crinkled and her eyes became sharp with understanding. _'That means the dream...wasn't a dream. ...It was real?!'_ Her face reddened and the mere thought and shook her head. _'Why am I acting like this?'_ It's not like she knew him enough to have these kinds of feelings for her boss. Heck, it was just plain wrong! 

After all, it might be that he didn't want an investment like her—the one responsible for cleaning up his house for the most important party of the year—getting laid...up! Laid up! Getting sick! Her brain overheated, as well as her face, from trying to make up excuses. _'Just remember, Riku. You are just a maid. A maid! Nothing more. Don't think of ridiculous fancies...since when did it become a fancy?!'_

Again, she shook her head. _'Remember the first day you got here? He was about to fire you, then, he makes you carry your things without offering any help, insults your intelligence, makes you do an inane, impossible task—he's mean, he's cold, he's ugly to you, harsh, uh, um, he's—'_

"Ms Harada?"

She turned around and caught sight of his unbuttoned shirt which revealed a well-defined chest and abs that went well with his soft skin.

_'—the sexiest man alive.'_ Her face reddened like a blazing sunburn. She averted her eyes downward on her dress—dress?! Oh, damn. Her dirty clothes. His lack of clothes...she had to get out of his presence before she looked like a radioactive tomato.

"G-good morning, Mr. Hiwatari." She bowed. "Please, excuse me. There's much more work to be done, today." She looked at his eyes for any sign of understanding but got a cold stare, instead. _'Eep.'_ That was her cue to exit. She turned around and took stiff, quick steps.

"I'm pleased with your progress," she heard him say. "Keep up the good work."

She turned around from his words of praise and felt her breath stop. So, the bastard did have a heart. She smiled warmly and bowed. "Thank you...," she said quietly and left the kitchen.

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In the first-floor bathroom, Riku turned on the sink and water rushed out. The bathroom in her room—or in the other rooms as she's found out—were as dead as a door nail. She wondered what was wrong, and what made this one of the only functioning bathrooms. It was also clean. Maybe this and the third floor bathroom were the only ones that worked. She turned off the sink and proceeded to strip her clothes off her body. 

_'Oh, well. Why am I worrying about bathrooms, anyways? It's his crazy house and it should be none of my business...'_

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His head was pounding like giant drums reverberating throughout his mind. Satoshi almost dropped the glass of water after swallowing two tablets of pain-killer. _'Why does it hurt so much?'_ Visions of Riku's face played over in his mind. Her sweet smile, her hazelnut eyes... His head felt light, and he moved around like a drunken man finding his way back to his room. He took careful steps in the dark hallway and felt his condition worsen. Satoshi propped his hand against a doorknob and the door gave way since it wasn't shut properly. But he grasped it tightly to avoid falling and slightly swung with the door. 

When he looked up, his body froze from the sight before him. In front of him was Riku, naked and bare. With the pale, morning light streaming through the window, her body seemed to glow softly with the clouds of steam slowly filling the room. Careful not to slam the door, he quickly shut it with the knob turned so there wouldn't be a distinct "click."

Crossing his arms over his chest, he pretended and stated over and over in his mind that it never happened, but his cherry-red face obviously stated otherwise.

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Riku turned around at the sudden, cold draft that came from behind her. She walked up to the door and stared at the lock before finally turning it, securing the door. 

_'Like I said before—this is a crazy, old house.'_

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Satoshi picked up his glasses and squinted when he looked through them. Taking them off, he realized that his vision cleared. _'It's nothing, it's nothing. My eyes probably improved over these years...'_

No, that couldn't be possible. He was almost as blind as a bat. There was no way, unless through laser eye surgery, that _his_ vision could get better.

Suddenly, his backed ached at two spots underneath his shoulder-blades.

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**A/N:** Really? I'm the first ever to post a Sato/Riku coupling fanfic on here?! Awesome! 

Okay, it's not really because I'm against Dai/Riku. I just thought that a Satoshi and Riku would actually make a good pairing in AUs.

And when, you ask, will Riku discover little tidbits of Satoshi's dark past? Ah... it's either I don't know, or I'm not telling—or both. Who knows? I do! Muahahaha! Stay tuned for the next crazy chapter of the two mortals who shall be my pawns for fluff-based DNAngel fanfics! I think Daisuke will have an appearance in Ch. 5 or 6. Also, the other characters will pop up sometime in the future: Dark, Risa, Krad, etc, etc...


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